In the Hall
by vancekennard
Summary: Why does Alex's mind always go to the Hank place?
1. Chapter 1

He's got mad scientist eyebrows and those glasses aren't helping matters. And he's a know it all. AND he has creature feet.

These are the things Alex tells himself so Mr. Mind Stalker (Xavier) won't know the truth. But the mind reader's thin lips twitch and Alex knows it's all for nothing.

Alex fights a rush of humiliation with bright rage and relishes the lick of fire deep within him. Seconds pass and the work-in-progress equipment that's strapped to his torso helps him take out two mannequins without killing everyone in the room.

He's pleased, although he can't say so, WON'T say so, because just the thought of it makes his throat feel tight. He glances at Xavier, who looks pointedly in the opposite direction of him and Hank. Alex hates this man. He hates anyone who makes him feel exposed, so naturally, he hates Hank too. He senses that the feeling is mutual.

"So?" Hank adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Better?"

Alex puffs up his chest. "Better."

Xavier pats his shoulder. "Wonderful job. Just keep practicing, but if these last changes don't quite do it we can go back to the drawing board. Maybe Hank could give you some pointers to help you improve your technique."

Alex shoots the mind reader a glare. He may as well have wiggled his eyebrows and made kissy noises while gesturing towards Hank.

Hank looks tense. "I could… do that." Alex shakes his head and the bozo relaxes. "Oh, well, let me know if you change your mind."

"Will do," Alex says stiffly, still looking at Xavier.

He starts thinking of melting away the older man's middle and Xavier gets this wide-eyed, hurried expression on his face. "Why don't we get this off Alex then, and move on to assisting Sean?"

The fear serves him right. You shouldn't read people's minds and meddle in their affairs. Do one or the other, but you shouldn't do both.

Alex goes on with his day, doing deep breathing exercises Erik taught him in the afternoon while listening to doom and gloom on the radio. Next he'll work out some, and then he'll have to walk for what will feel like miles just to grab himself a late snack because he doesn't feel like going down for dinner, where Xavier, thinking he's the cleverest cupid ever, has been making sure the only empty chair to welcome him is at Hank's side.

Alex rises and starts stretching while he dreads leaving his room. He doesn't like Xavier's home. He doesn't like its vastness. There are cold drafts that lurk around the corners and spring out at him in the middle of the night when he walks the halls to clear his head. Sometimes he suspects another mutant following him, one that can turn its body into wind perhaps. He's seen enough strange things for it to be in the realm of possibility, but he knows it's most likely Hank's fault.

The mad scientist probably leaves his windows in his room open in the night because he's busy moving about, getting himself all hot and worked up while he toils over a big scientific breakthrough that will save the world or himself.

Alex sighs. Why does his mind always go to the Hank place? And what does he have to do to make it stop? It's getting pretty bad now. At first it would just creep up during his fantasies, which was startling, but he was too busy getting off to care. Then it would hit him in the bathroom, while he was stuck on the toilet with nothing to do other than wonder why the hell a bathroom needed to be so fancy or mull over why his penis thought Hank was so inviting. And once you had those types of thoughts about another man in those types of situations, they would increase at an alarming rate until every time you saw him you were thinking those things, and every time you were away from him you were thinking of him!

Alex tells himself he won't do it any longer. Not today! Not for one more moment. Instead he'll go to the kitchen before dinner, careful not to run into the others on his way (he'll duck into empty rooms if he has to), and he'll grab some food and lift some of the good stuff Erik and Xavier mostly keep to themselves.

Alex sets off to do just that, full of determination and mischievous excitement. So full of both that he forgets to be sly about it and doesn't hide when he hears footsteps on the stairs, coming to meet his. There's plenty of time to race back up to the hall and to disappear, but he just keeps moving and doesn't realize why that's a bad idea until he comes face to face with Hank.

Both young men stop in their tracks. Both are instantly mortified. Hank, because he's in swimming trunks (holding a bunched up towel to one of his sides); and Alex, because he hasn't been able to stop thinking about the man in swimming trunks.

In this moment Hank is braver, because he breaks the silence. "Ever been in a sauna? I've just been, with Raven."

Alex doesn't say anything. He stares at Hank's lean body and he has to turn around and hurry back up the stairs so his brain will work again. Stupid Hank follows, shouting, "Are you okay?" He runs so fast with his creature feet that he ends up in front of Alex, who rams right into him.

"Ouch," Hank hisses, grabbing his foot. "You stepped on one of my toes."

Alex shrugs. "Your fault. You were in my way."

Hank's face twists in pain as he touches his foot to the floor. "Sorry I showed any concern for you. You looked pale."

Alex snorts. "Don't be such a baby." His eyes take in Hank's body again. "You're the pale one."

It's horrible then, how fast and inexplicably the need takes him. He doesn't have time to talk himself out of it before he's moving closer to Hank, who is taller, so Alex has to lift his chin for their lips to meet. And thank god Hank is slouching so Alex doesn't have to get on his toes to kiss like some girl.

Hank has still been holding the towel until now. Now he drops it and makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but he doesn't pull his mouth away. Alex believes this is approval, so he slips the tip of his tongue between Hank's lips and feels the smoothness of his teeth. Hank opens his mouth wider and Alex opens his eyes to see that Hank's eyes are shut. His brown hair is sticky with sweat from the sauna. Alex brushes the damp strands away from Hank's forehead and closes his eyes again.

Nerves take flight in Alex's stomach as he cups Hank's face in his hands and deepens the kiss, massaging Hank's wet tongue with his own. Hank shivers. Alex moans.

"Ahem."

They break apart so fast it's as if a whip strikes the place where their mouths are joined.

Erik smiles at them as he pets his chest hair. "And I thought it was hot in the sauna."

"There's nothing hot about this fag coming onto me," Alex blurts out, with red cheeks and hands balled into fists.

"I didn't," Hank snaps.

Erik wags a finger at Alex. "You should know, Alex, Charles gets chatty when he's had a drink or two." And with that, Erik continues down the hall. Alex can practically see the cloud of smugness floating above him.

Hank leans his back against the wall and scowls at Alex. "What is wrong with you?"

"You tell me."

"You're a jerk."

"I'm a playful guy."

"No," Hank pouts. "You're rude and insensitive and now we can add stark raving mad to the list."

"We?" asks Alex, his tone un-riled.

"Screw you."

Alex catches his arm. "Wait."

"WHY?"

"So I can do this."

Alex tries to pull him into another kiss, but Hank turns his head. "If we ever kiss again – which we won't – we won't do it in the hall."

Hank walks off in quite a dignified manner then, for someone who is in trunks and walking on a sore toe. Alex watches him with a bewildered expression. He knows the rejection should make him feel raw, but his insides are warm, and his mouth is tingling, and he feels lighter than a feather.


	2. AN Sequel

If you like this story, check out **_In the Bedroom. _**It's the sequel to In the Hall. Told from Hank's POV.


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